Tube frame for axminster looms



g 13, 1929- A. A. GORDON Q 1,724,277

TUBE FRAME FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Fi led Nov. 25, 1927 A'LBE/F'T Q0/ 250JMMM Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO CROMPTON &KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

TUBE FRAME FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS.

Application filed November 25, 1927.

lhis invention relates to improvements in tube frames for Axminsterlooms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a hookhaving a rigid chain engaging portion and having other portions reducedsothat the hook maybe inherently resillent and tend by its resilience toremain in operative relation with the transporting chain of an Axminsterloom.

Axminster looms usually comprise a pair of spaced parallel transportingchains whlch support a series of so-called tube frames on which thevariously colored pile yarns are carried. The tube frames are attachedto the transporting chain by means of hooked members, one at each end ofthe tube frame, and these members are normally effective to support thetube frame but can be moved by clutch mechanisms to releasing positionwhen it is desired to move the tube frame from the transporting chain topile forming position. It has been proposed heretofore to use hooks madeof flat spring material but these have ordinarily been secured to avertical part of the tube frame bracket or hanger and have shown atendency under certain conditions to become loose or broken. It has alsobeen proposed to make a rigid latch which may be pivoted to the bracketor hanger and held in normal yielding position by a separate coilspring, but such a construction necessitates a pivot and the springs areshort because ofthe limited space which they may occupy. I have foundthat the hooks so constructed offer a widely varying degree ofresistance to the releasing clutches so that it is not uncommon to finda tube frame subjected to a force tending-to move the same laterallyfrom its proper position due to the unequal resistances of the springs.

Variations in the material from which the hooks are made causes a slightlack of uniformity in the resilient qualities of the hooks and in orderto overcome this defect I provide an additional spring for each hookmember, thus affording means for varying the pressure exerted by thehook member. Under ordinary conditions the total force exerted by thehook will be made up partly of the force exerted by its own resilienceand partly by the pressure of the auxiliary spring and this totalpressure can be increased by Serial No. 235,609.

compressing the auxiliary spring or reduced by expanding the latterspring.

Axminsterlooms are customarily pro vided with a stop motion of the typeset forth in Patent No. 1,546,685 to Streimer, the train of mechanismbeing effective to stop the loom when a tube frame fails to be releasedfrom the chain and including a clutch having an overhanging part whichis held in raised position by a projection extending from a portion ofthe tube frame bracket or hanger. It is a further object of my presentinvention to provide the mounting for the aforesaid auxiliary springwith a slight extension which normally affords the means by which thepressure exerted by said spring may be varied but which will alsoconstitute the element which lies under the overhanging part of theclutch to effect stoppage of the loom when desired. 7

It has been found that inherently resilient hooks of the type heretoforeused have not been held very securely to the tube frame with the resultthat they have been subject to twisting strains which contributed totheir failure. It is a further object of my present invention to extendthe portion of the hook of reduced thickness into the hollow tubular barwhich forms the body of the tube frame and to clamp said reduced partbetween the lower wall of the hollow bar and one of the parallel armswhich extend into the bar from the hanger or bracket, said reduced endof the hook being substantially the same width as the interior plistancebetween the vertical walls of the With these and other objects in Viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and setforth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein one form of my invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the tube frame having my inventionapplied thereto, showing the improved spring hook located at each endthereof,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed front elevation of one end of the tubeframe set forth in Fig. 1, the hook being in. normal chain engagingposition,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with certain parts in Verticalsection and with a releasing clutch indicated in dot and dash lines, 7

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the clutch omitted but with thehook member moved to releasing position,

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the lower end of the spring hook looking inthe direction of arrow 6, Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that I have provided a tubeframe 10 formed of a'h-ollow tubular bar 11 having secured thereto aplurality of yarn tubes 12 which receive the yarn ordinarily wound onspool S. Said spool has gudgeons which are received by the spool bearingmember 13 the lower end of which has an arm 14 extending horizontallyinto the tubular bar and is secured to the latter by means of screws 15.A second member 16 has a chain engaging tongue 17 which extends betweenthe links 18 of the transporting chain. The lower end of said member hasa horizontal arm 19 which extends into the tube, said arms 14- and 19being the means by which the hanger or bracket is held to the tubeframe. The members 13 and 16 may be socured together in any way as bywelding. The matter thus far described is common 7 in tube frames forwide looms and forms no outwardly.

- is substantially part of my present invention.

In' carrying my invention into effect it strike a tongue 30 from the arm20 and extend the same downwardly to receive the threaded end of anadjusting screw stud 32 which projects to the right of the tongue 30 asshown in Fig. 3 through an opening 33 formed in the member 16. A chainengaginghook 34 with a head35 to cooperate with one of the links 18extends through a slot36 formed in the member 16. The lower end of saidhook has an opening 37 through which projects the right end of the stud32'. A compression spring 38 surrounding a portion of the stud 32 liesbetween the threaded portion 31 thereof and a substantially verticalportion 39 struck from the hook member through which the stud projects.Said spring 38 normally presses against the hook member to hold the sameThe lower end of said hooked member is reduced in thickness as at 40 andextends horizontally into the hollow. tube between the arm- 19 and thelower portion of the hollow bar 11,,as at 4-1, and is held in place bythe screws la which secure the arm 19 in the hollow bar 11. By thisconstruction the upper part; of the hook which engages the chain andextends through the slot 36 rigid while the lower part of the hook isresilient;

Another feature of the hook is that the lower end is broadened asindicated in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that the portion 40 issubstantially the same width as the inside distance between verticalwalls of the tubular bar. By this construction the hook is held againstangular movement in a horizontal plane.

Under normal conditions the inherent resilience of the reduced portion10 of the hook will force the latter to the right as viewed in Figs. 2,and l, holding the head 35 against the tongue 17 and above'one of thelinks 18 so that the tube frame will be supported by the transportingchain. The spring 38 will also exert an outward pressure against thehook and this pressure may be varied by turning the stud by means of ascrew driver which may lit into av slot 42 formed in that part of thestud which extends beyond the hook. The purpose of providing this secondspring 38 is to enable the operator to adjust the tension of the hookson the tube frame so that the hooks at each end may be undersubstantially the same tension and therefore be moved to releasingpositions by equal pressures on the part of the releasing clutches, sothat the tube fran'ie will have no force exerted thereon tending to moveit laterally from its normal position when being released from thechain.

The clutches which release the tube frame from the transporting chainare formed as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 3 where one of theclutches is shown. The clutch O has an overhang 43 which moves againstthe hook to release the latter, said overhang at such times lying overthe extended end of the stud 32 so that should the tube frame be held tothe chain the clutch will be held up by the stud 32 to stop the loom asset forth in the aforesaid Streimer patent.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a tube framehook a portion of which is substantially rigid and thick to engage thechain while the other portion which is received by and securedto thetube frame is reduced and thereby rendered flexible enough to permit theupper rigid part of the hook to move away from the supporting link 18.It will further be seen that the lower widened portion il) issubstantially the same width as theinterior of the tubular bar 11 sothat the extension -l-l effectively prevents twisting of the hook.Furthermore, the spring 33 ali'ords means to vary the pressure exertedby the hook so that the hooks on each, tube l'rame may he made to oii erpractically the same resistance to movement. It will also be seen thatthe extension of the stud ailiords stopping means by extending into thepath of the overhanging portion of the clutch O. 1

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member the upper end of which issubstantially non-resilient and terminating with a hooked end and thelower end of which is reduced in thickness to render the same resilient,and means to secure the lower reduced end of said hook member in fixedposition relatively to the tube frame.

2. in an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member having the upper part thereofrelatively heavy and non-flexible and terminating with a hook and havingthe lower end of reduced thickness to render said lower end resilient,said reduced lower end of the hooked member extending between one of thearms of the bracket and the adjacent wall of the hollow carrier bar,

3. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member having the upper part thereofrelatively heavy and non-flexible and terminating with a hook and havingthe lower end oi reduced thickness to render said lower end resilient,said reduced lower end of the hooked member extending between one of thearms of the bracket and the adjacent wall of the hollow carrier bar, andmeans extending through said arm, reduced portion of the hook member andthe adjacent wall of the tubular bar to secure said parts together.

l. A hook member for an Axminster tube frame bracket, said hook membercomprising an upper substantially rigid and nonresilient portionterminating with a hooked end and having the lower end thereof ofreduced thickness to be resilient and flexible, said reduced flexibleportion having a horizontal attaching extension.

5. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member having the upper part thereofrelatively heavy and nontlexible and having the lower end of reducedthickness to render said lower end resilient, and indepei'ldentresilient means interposed between the tube frame and the hook membertending to move the latter normally outwardly, said hook member beingheld in normal position by the pressure exerted jointly by theindependent resilient means and the resilient part of said hook member.

6. In. an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar havinga'bracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member having the upper part thereofrelatively heavy and non-flexible and hav ing the lower end of reducedthickness to render said lower end resilient, a stud adjustable as tohorizontal position and supported by the bracket, and a compressionspring located between the stud and the hook member and tending to movethe latter out-7 wardly, said hook member being held in normal positionby the pressure exerted jointly by the independent resilient means andthe resilient part of said hook member.

7. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member having the upper part thereofrelatively heavy and non-flexible and hav ing the lower end of reducedthickness to render said lower end resilient, a stud located. within thetubular bar and supported for adjustable movement longitudinally of thebar, one end of said stud extenijling through the hook member to beguided by the latter, and a spring surrounding a portion of said studand exerting an outward pressure on said hook.

8. In an Axminster tube frame having a bracket with parallel arms toextend within a hollow tubular bar fori'i'iing part of the tube frame,said bracket to cooperate with a clutch having an overhanging portion, ahook member having the upper portion substantially rigid andnon-flexible and having the lower portion reduced in thickness to berendered resilient, the lower portion being attached to the bracket,means to exert an outward pressure on the hook member including a guidestud, said stud projecting through and beyond the hookmember to beengaged by the overhanging portion of the clutch.

9. In an Axminster tube frame having a bar and a bracket secured theretoto cooperate with a clutch having an overhanging portion, a hook membermounted on the bracket and capable of angular movement with respectthereto, resilient means normally exerting an outward force on the hook,and a guide device for the resilient means extending through andprojecting beyond the hook member, that portion of the guide meansprojecting beyond the hook member lying under the overhanging portion ofthe clutch.

10. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member the upper end of which is nonresilient and terminating with a hooked end, the lower end of the memberbeing reduced in thickness to render the same resilient, resilient meansinterposed between one arm and member tending to move the latternormally outwardly, and means to secure the lower reduced end of saidhook member in fixed position relatively to the tube frame,

the vertical portionbeing non-flexible and provided with a hooked endand the lower end of the vertical portion being reduced in thickness torender the same flexible, resilient means interposed between the armswhich extend into the hollow bar and the membe' tending to move thelatter outwardly, and means to secure the lower reduced horizontallyextending portion of said hook member in fixed position relatively tothe tube frame, said reduced lower portion of the member beingsubstantially the same width as the inner walls of the hollow bar to prevent angular movement thereof in a horizontal plane.

12. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with parallel spaced arms which extend into and aresecured to the bar, a hook member the upper end of which issubstantially non-resilient and terminating with a hooked end and thelower end of said member being reduced in thickness to render the sameresilient, a guide stud. carried by the tubular bar, yielding means onthe stud interposed between the arms of the bracket and member tendingto move the latter normally outwardly, and means to secure the lowerreduced end of said hook member in fixed position relatively to the tubeframe, a part of the said reduced end of the member being flared andhaving an opening therein to receive a portion of the guide stud.

13. In an Axminster tube frame comprising a hollow tubular bar having abracket provided with horizontally spaced parallel arms which extendinto and are secured to the bar, said bracket being further providedwith an arm which extends vertically from the bracket, a hook memberhaving a substantially rigid non-resilient upper portion terminatingwith a hooked end and the lower end thereof which is of reducedthickness to cause the lower end of the member to be resilient, saidnon-resilient part of the member being substantially parallel to the armwhich extends vertically from the bracket.

l l. A hook member for an Axminster tube frame bracket, said membercomprising an upper substantially rigid non-resilient portionterminating with a hooked end and having a lower resilient end, saidresilient portion having a horizontal attaching extension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON.

